Two ladies and a little man

Graduation!

2011-06-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

Erynn graduated from preschool! She know will move on to Kindergarten. I'm excited for her to go to school all day and she is SUPER excited. But really, where did the time go? I swear just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. *sigh* Oh well, time moves on and so does my little graduate! Happy Graduation, Erynn!

Silly kid

2010-06-18T22:29:00.001-05:00

Colin is one...

crazy...

wacky kid! But oh, so CUTE!

Variety Showstopper

2010-06-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

So last year, our school started doing a variety/talent show. I thought Lydia would freak out being on stage and so we didn't do anything. After Lydia saw the show, she was adamant she wanted to do it this year. I wasn't sure she would be okay on the stage by herself, although now I am sure she would have been fine. I sometimes have a hard time understanding how she feels about things only because I was SO shy and insecure when I was her age. Thankfully she has very little of that self doubt going on and loves doing just about everything. I can't imagine much holding her back from doing what she wants to do!

Anyway, she decided to do her Tae Kwon Do forms with a friend of ours who goes to both our school and our Tae Kwon Do school. She got up on stage and did amazing! No signs of nerves or anything! If you know Tom, you know she didn't get her comfort in front of groups from him either. Needless to say, we are both very proud of her!

She also ended the year with straight A's. That she might have gotten from both her mom and dad, although she works hard at school to be her best. Again, who wouldn't be proud of her?

End of 3 year old preschool

2010-06-18T22:04:00.000-05:00

Erynn and Ms Gabby...although Erynn wouldn't talk much to her teachers all year, around March I think Erynn really started to be comfortable around Ms Gabby. SO SO SO different than Lydia, Erynn takes her time when getting to know people. And believe me, if she doesn't want to talk to you...she won't! Her other teacher, Ms Shari rarely has heard her voice. There is always next year!

One of the last days of school was spent at the park for a family picnic. Along with great food, there always were some games. This is Erynn's class getting ready to play "jump across the river". Considering my children are not the most coordinated, I was sure that Erynn would be out of it quickly. Imagine my surprise when she did VERY well and was one of the last 5 or so!

Showing off her jumping ability...maybe she will be a track and field star!

GO DUKE!

2010-04-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

Can you tell where we are?

Sadly, or not so much...it was "the end of the road" for Michigan State and West Virginia University.

Tom and I headed to Indianapolis on Saturday for the Final Four!

To watch the Duke Blue Devils shoot lights out! (Jon Scheyer here!)

And beat West Virginia to move on to the Championship game. As Coach K says "they play as one"...and on Saturday night that was one tough team.

Tonight we will be watching Bill Nance, Jon Scheyer, and Coach K...

GO DUKE!

Do you know who this is?!?

2010-04-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

One clue: He has a village named after him.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Erynn knew what to do...

Lydia did too...

and Colin...well he figured things out VERY quickly!

We are of course talking about hunting eggs. The day started with an Easter "party" at Grandma and Grandpa Hartnagel's house after the girls went to church.

(Colin at church=totally miserable time for everyone)

Then we headed home to see if the Easter Bunny made his way to our house. Lydia was nervous since we didn't sleep at our own house that the Easter Bunny wouldn't know to stop at our house. Thankfully he did...phew!

AND he was very generous!

Both girls were excited with what the EB brought them!

All in all it was a good, but VERY busy day! *yawn* Off to bed I go...

Colorful Fun

2010-04-04T21:47:00.000-05:00

We dyed Easter Eggs on Friday night since we wouldn't be home on Saturday (you will find out why in another post). We did not start until after 8:00 because I forgot to get vinegar and since I had gotten a fancy tye-dye kit I had to run into town to get it. Anyway...the girls and I had a good time and the eggs ended up being pretty cool looking!

Aren't they pretty? The Easter bunny hid all of them...we even had a little difficulty finding them! Good thing we did, otherwise it would have gotten kind of stinky in the house! Yuk! It was a blast and the girls were very proud of their creations!

Lydia's first time reading at church

2010-04-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

A little while ago Lydia read at church for the first time. She has been wanting to do this since the beginning of Kindergarten. She was excited, not the least bit scared and did a "phenomenal" job(according to her teacher Mrs. Kamp...not just this very proud momma)!

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x39/7694donaldson/?action=view&current=March2010118.flv

Click to see her!

My Valentines

2010-02-14T10:00:00.001-06:00

It is wonderful to have so many Valentines. Especially ones that I love so much! :)

My first born, Lydia.

She is sweet and loving,

Smart and social.

Stubborn at times,

and so, so beautiful!

Erynn is the middle child.

She is wild and sweet and crazy,

Trouble with a capital T,

One who needs little sleep,

Talks to who she wants to and ignores others.

My blond haired, blue eyed wonder,

and generally just crazy!

(yes, his shirt does say "the ladies love me")

Colin is my baby,

Boy through and through,

But sweet and friendly to all,

Sleeps his life away,

Loves balls and trucks,

and thinks his Mom is the best!

And finally, my husband.

What can I say?

He is a self-proclaimed nerd,

who loves games, Duke basketball,

and (thankfully) Cardinal baseball...

Oh and of course, me! :)

I hope that your Valentines are as special as mine and you have a wonderful day! Happy Valentine's Day!

Lydia's party

2010-02-13T12:27:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been to a party with 26 First Graders? Well, let's just say it is more than a little chaotic. I was the head room mom for Lydia's class this year and although it was fun, I don't think I will be doing it again anytime soon! :) We have now made it through all of the classroom parties and I have to say they were a lot better at this party than at the Christmas party...maybe we I learned a little bit about dealing with these kids. Then again, maybe not.

Playing heads up 7-UP. It might be a Catholic school thing, but this game is SO much fun!

T and Mrs. Kamp watching the other kids playing hot potato.

A, K, J, and P playing hot potato. Amazingly they were so calm and well behaved!

And finally, my "goth" looking girl...I think the blue mouth just added to her mystique. :) I think she is the most adorable girl in the world and at least one other ~~boy~~ person agrees with me...but that is a whole other post. Maybe. If I ever am ready for Lydia to grow up. Probably not.

Erynn's party

2010-02-12T11:33:00.000-06:00

Erynn being her usual honery self! Thanks for the skirt Lexi...she looked so stinkin' cute! :)

Erynn washing her hands before snack time.

Such a great groups of kiddos...they are praying before eating! So cute!

So Erynn had her Valentine's party on Thursday since they only have school 2 times a week. It was certainly a blast and Erynn was SO excited! She even wrote her "name" on 19 valentines to give to all her friends. She was so proud of herself and knows excatly what she is doing, although her writing often needs some interpretation. On to another party today...hopefully I will get a few more pictures since my camera battery is charged today (unlike yesterday). Ahem!

Hartnagel Christmas

2010-01-02T14:21:00.000-06:00

This year we celebrated Christmas at the Hartnagel homestead on the Sunday after Christmas. Usually it is up to a week before or a week after Christmas, but this year it worked out to be closer to the actual date. As is customary, a picture of the grandkids in front of the tree was taken. Considering the large number, I think it turned out really good!

Billy, Chelsea, Andy, Nikki, Zach, Erika,Colin, Lydia, Sammy, Tommy, Ryan, Erynn, and Will

Lydia opening one of her favorite gifts..."Gardening Mama"

Erynn with a new book and sitting on Erika's lap (which she did for all of her present opening)

Colin playing with his new drum/music set from his godmother, Lexi. Lexi is glutton for punishment, but since her daughter Ella is not even a year old yet...it shall be fun! :)

Oh and don't you LOVE Colin's bowtie?! My aunt Diane made it for him and I can't wait to recruit my mom to help me make some more!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-01T10:52:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve is always fun. Our family tradition is that we open gifts from each other that night. When I was growing up, we always went to my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve, so this wonderful tradition came from Tom's side of the family. I love it...it just feels like a perfect way to start the Christmas holiday! The kids loved their presents and are pictured with their favorite ones of the night.

Lydia with her new lamp so she can read before going to bed!

Colin and his new baseball game, although anything with a ball would have been just fine I think!

Erynn and her "penguin boots"...she wears them in rain, in snow and basically at every moment she can!

One last picture of the kids all sitting together opening their presents. They were so into what each other got and seeing that kind of interest and compasion makes me think that we may be doing something right in raising them to be loving, wonderful siblings and children!

We hope that your Christmas season had as great of a beginning as ours did!

Lydia's pictures

2009-12-04T10:41:00.003-06:00

I just took Lydia for her 7 year pictures. I know...didn't she turn 7 in October? Well yes...but I am the mom of 3 kids and this is the first time I have had a chance to get her in. Anyway, you can see them here...

http://www.myonlineportraits.com/ViewSharedAlbum.aspx?ShareID=a8404518-3b24-485b-b853-d9b593eef71a

I honestly don't know how she got to be so grown up!

Kristin

Watch out Mickey Mouse...

2009-11-20T21:27:00.004-06:00

here we come! Off to Disney World tomorrow morning. Pictures to come!

Halloween

2009-11-20T21:22:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I know...it is a little late, but better late than never! Lydia, Erynn, and Colin made up my own little version of "farmer in the dell".

He does NOT give up!

2009-11-09T21:54:00.003-06:00

So Colin loves the bath tub...If one way doesn't work...

Try the other side...

Ahhhh...sweet success!

Car Show

2009-11-04T21:12:00.002-06:00

So at Erynn's school they have a car show every year. They use it to learn about transportation and have to actually make a car out of a cardboard box. They then have a "car parade" around the block, then they returned to school and went to a "drive in" movie...complete with popcorn. I won't lie, it isn't my favorite day of the year, but the kids really seem to love it!

Watch out!

2009-11-04T21:08:00.001-06:00

We have a walker now...lordy, help us!

Lydia's belt ceremony

2009-11-03T16:06:00.002-06:00

Lydia tested up another belt while Tom and I were in Chicago. Even without us cheering her on, she did a great job. She did have grandma and grandpa there as support though...I am sure that helped!

Lydia is now a blue tip belt!

The Pumpkin Farm

2009-10-27T11:34:00.002-05:00

After our relatively easy Apple Farm outing, the next weekend we decided to head to the Pumpkin farm for some yes, PUMPKINS!

After finding the perfect pumpkins, and loading them onto the stroller, we fed some goats...

the girls played in a maze...

And Colin played on a tractor!

All in all, a very good day, except for the bloody lip after falling face first on the wagon and the subsequent crying when we had to leave, and the carrying of Erynn on my shoulders while trying to push the stroller through the rut laden dirt parking lot. But we survived and we would do it again!

Somedays are just not good...

2009-10-27T11:25:00.002-05:00

Somedays you just can't help but be sad...

Somedays, you just can't help but cry...

And somedays, just keep getting worse...

Colin was having one of "those" days recently...

The Apple Farm

2009-10-27T11:11:00.004-05:00

So we originally decided to go to the Apple Farm for pumpkins...I know weird thinking, but I know we went last year or the year before and got pumpkins. So one Sunday, while Tom was working, I decided that a trip to get pumpkins was in order. Once we got there, I discovered that there were no pumpkins, but it was too late! Lydia and Erynn wanted to ride on the wagons and go pick some apples. It took some manuevering since it was just me and 3 children, one of whom could not walk, and a whole orchard of apple trees. But it actually was a lot of fun!

Lydia became an apple farmer!

Erynn and Lydia played on the tractor wheels, the "chicken coop" playground, and the glider swings. Oh and while I was paying for our apples, some little boy had a disagreement with Erynn and bit her! My poor baby had a bruise and teeth marks on her arm for a week. I wasn't too mad because I know that kids are kids, but his mother didn't even reprimand him...things like that I have yet to figure out how to explain to my children.

Erynn and Lydia picked some apples.

And Colin, well he ate many bites of apples that I would give him and emptied out my purse while waiting for a ride back to our car!

I am so glad that I decided to take this on and go. It would have been a very trying day if we would have just stayed home! And I learned that the girls are pretty good at listening when out in public. We just wish that Daddy could have come too!

What were you doing today, 7 years ago?!?

2009-10-16T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well, I remember...I was sitting in St Mary's Health Center becoming a mother for the first time. I was scared out of my mind and excited all at the same time. I remember watching an episode of The Amazing Race (I believe that was the time that Zac and Flo won!), I remember trying to make a final decision on her name, and I remember Tom being much more scared than I thought he was going to be. It was a LONG time though...it seemed like, well, 28 hours or so! :) But in the end it was all worth is because

at 11:18pm
on October 16, 2002,
Lydia Kay Donaldson
was born into our family,
Weighing in at 6lbs, 10oz
and measuring 20 inches long

Now look at her...in 1st grade, a reading machine, pretty good at Tae Kwon Do, a wonderful, helpful big sister, and always making jokes! I have always had dreams of having children, but I don't think that I truely knew what I was getting into...none of us do, but Lydia certainly gave me more than I expected! She is wonderful and stubborn and her own person, and I love her for that!

Happy 7th Birthday Lydia!

A little giveaway...

2009-09-16T15:26:00.001-05:00

Target $50 Gift Card Giveaway
.
It's time for me to give something to you since you take time out of your busy lives to visit STL Mommy.

The giveaway this month is a $50 Target Gift Card!

Check out how to win it at...

Kristin

Catching up on posts...

2009-09-14T09:48:00.002-05:00

Before school started, we also went to the Arch. The kids sitting outside, waiting for Ryan and Will.
The Arch itself...it was a gorgeous day!

The boys posing before going inside.

Picture taking in front of the bear. The Arch was sold out for the next like 3 hours, so we decided to come back another day to make the trek up. It was fun walking around in the museum and just hanging out with cousins!

Green Belts

2009-09-14T09:32:00.002-05:00

A little while back Tom and Lydia tested for their green belts. I got a babysitter and watched not only the testing, but also the belt ceremony. I was so excited that I got to watch and really see what they get to do at Tae Kwon Do! Lydia being "questioned" by Master Myung on her behavior at home and some of the

Tae Kwon Do rules!
Getting their new belts.

Bowing to the rest of the class. Lydia was excited to be moving to the next level!

Erynn's first day of school

2009-09-14T09:09:00.003-05:00

So it started...school that is! Erynn's first day of school was Sept 1st! We weren't sure she was going to make it since you have to be potty trained, but when met with a deadline, this girl aims to please! Or more than likely she just decided to do it! :) Eating a breakfast of fruity cheerios and milk...yum!
Hanging up her bookbag in her cubby and getting her name tag.

Sitting on the carpet, reading a book...waiting for all the moms & dads to leave. Erynn didn't shed a single tear. She actually waved goodbye and I had to ask for a kiss! I wasn't sure that this child who would cling to me for most of her 1st to 2nd year of life would ever be this independant. I think she might be even more independant that Lydia was at this age...and I didn't think that was possible!

Erynn coming out of class. That is her teacher Ms Shari making sure she has her bookbag!

The first week of school went great...then she got Hand Foot and Mouth disease (and possibly strep throat). She missed the whole second week of school...this girl was completely

MIS ER A BLE!

Hopefully we will be back into the swing of things tomorrow and for the rest of the year! :)

We also went to...

2009-09-04T11:26:00.002-05:00

Grant's Farm. Going there is always fun. It is calmer than the zoo and yet the kids always have fun. The free beer is a little added bonus too! :) Lydia loves the goats, although Colin was glad they were on the other side of the fence!

Just some things that passed the time...

2009-09-04T11:16:00.002-05:00

So before school started, we decided to do just about every tourist thing in St. Louis. :) This was a day at Cahokia Mounds. It was fun and the girls had a good time. The especially liked playing with the primative toys and seeing how the children lived. I think in a few years they will get more out of it...I know I will! :)

1st day...hurray!

2009-08-19T15:16:00.003-05:00

New shoes and an old bookbag...both ready for 1st grade!

(too bad I can't figure out how to rotate it)
Eating breakfast...yum!

Yesterday was the official first day of school for Lydia. I don't know that I consider it a full day since she was there for just a little over 3 hours. Anyway, it was a good 1st day of 1st grade!

May it rest in peace...

2009-08-04T09:23:00.002-05:00

Well my computer died...it just won't turn on anymore. So no longer can I blog or read email, etc from the comfort of my bed. *sigh* Anyway, I will be using Tom's computer or the kids' computer, but since it isn't right next to my bed, it will take a more concerted effort on my part to post.

Kristin

Oh...Tom and I are thinking about going away for a weekend for our 10th anniversary...anyone want to "borrow" 3 kids for a couple of days?!?! :)

Send some passing thoughts...

2009-07-29T08:36:00.002-05:00

My cousin Simon is taking the IL bar exam as we speak! I know that he doesn't really NEED them, but if you could send some "positive-passing vibes" his way, it would be appreciated. I know that it is stressful, no matter how much you have studied and how ready you are...boy do I know! Oh and it is his and his lovely wife, Emily's, 2nd wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary guys! :) (maybe wait until the weekend to celebrate though!)

Kristin

Erynn is THREE!

2009-07-21T17:01:00.003-05:00

So like I posted before, Erynn and Colin pretty much share their birthdays. We had the party at her Aunt and Uncle's house and it was lots of fun with lots of family!! Erynn checking out her own special cake...she was excited to not have to share with anyone!

Erynn loves, loves, loves to swim! She is our little fish!! :)

As you can tell, she also liked opening presents! She was so fast that I didn't get to see half of it until we were home because she moved so fast!

Kristin

More Party Pics...

2009-07-21T16:49:00.002-05:00

I sort of feel guilty because Colin and Erynn kind of have to "share" a birthday. This cake was my attempt to make it special and unforgettable. It turned out really good and I didn't pay all that much for it...it actually was a steal! (Thanks to Aunt Kathy for turning me on to halfoffdeals.com)This banner was something I have thought about having for a while now. All I had ever seen was the plastic kind though and I wanted to be able to use it for many birthdays and for all the kids. Thanks to etsy.com, I found this one that is made out of fabric letters and I can add or take off the kids' names (I have Lydia's name too). I think that I will be using it every year for all 3 kids and maybe for Tom and myself too. I love it!

Kristin

Colin turns ONE!

2009-07-21T16:35:00.003-05:00

Officially, today, Colin Patrick Donaldson is ONE year old. I honestly don't know where the time has gone...I feel like just yesterday we were so excited to tell everyone that we were pregnant! He is amazing though...happy and plump and adventureous and loving.

We love you little boy!! Happy Birthday!!

Kristin

The Donaldson family visits the Zoo...

2009-07-08T22:12:00.002-05:00

St. Louis has the best zoo in the country! Not only is it free but you can really see a lot of the animals and get pretty close! We had a great day and saw lots of great stuff, although a few members of the family were hot and tired by 10:00am! :) Lydia on the spider web in the Children's Zoo
Colin being "eaten" by a hippo

A bear playing with a red ball (it had food in it)

A gorilla walking towards us with food in his mouth!

A fennic fox hanging out.

If you ever get to St. Louis, you need to check this place out! Parking is $11 now...yikes! (you can attempt to park on the street) Admission is free and the few things that you do have to pay for (children's zoo, merry go round, dino adventure, & the stingray exhibit) are free the first hour it is open. We got there at excatly 8:00am and got to do both the Children's zoo and the merry go round for free. It is a great deal!! :)

Kristin

Colin's new face

2009-07-08T22:04:00.002-05:00

You have to admit...he is pretty darn cute! :) Anyway, he does this face and we can't help but laugh our butts off. I think he knows that he is cute too!

Kristin

Our friendly neighbors

2009-07-08T21:59:00.001-05:00

Some we like...some we aren't so happy with, but they are all pretty gorgeous.

Kristin

Food and friends

2009-07-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

One of the truely best things in life are a day where the kids eat, are happy, and you get to chat with your friends with minimal interuptions. We did just that the other day. We met with my best friends (from high school...one I have known since Kindergarten) at McDonalds for dinner and some talking. My friend S is due at the beginning of August with her little boy...Colin. :) We figured that this might be the last time we were able to get together for alittle while, although we try to see each other every couple of months. Anyway, I got some great pics of the kiddos and thought I would share. ;) Erynn enjoying her Sprite! :)
P just hangin out.

M looking adorable as usual (and enjoying the slide!)

P and Colin talking things over (P is a month younger than Colin)

C and Lydia sitting at the "girl table".

Kristin

An amazing thing

2009-07-08T21:39:00.003-05:00

I am amazed that THIS child can turn into....

THIS child! :)

I cherish the times when she sleeps, but honestly she is a hoot and Tom and I do laugh a LOT at her antics. But seriously, if anyone wants a blond-haired, blue-eyed, adorable, strong-willed little girl PLEASE contact us...we are willing to rent her out! :)

Kristin

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

2009-07-08T21:25:00.003-05:00

Hehe...sorry I love that song! :) Anyway, Colin is an eating machine and I honestly am not sure how we are going to afford our grocery bill when he is a teenager! Here he is eating a banana...he LOVES fruit. Bananas and blueberries are his favorites right now. Maybe we should call him our "little monkey"! :)

Kristin

Shaving Cream

2009-07-08T09:42:00.003-05:00

Who knew that shaving cream could be so much fun! It actually cleaned the window and all I had to do was spray things down (including Erynn) with the hose. Thanks to Mrs Burns for the idea! :)

Kristin

Colin's room

2009-07-08T09:33:00.002-05:00

This is for Marie who wanted to see Colin's room, but I couldn't leave the girls out either. Lydia's room is first with the aqua walls and polka dots, then Erynn's room with the pink and green, and finally Colin's orange room. I actually love them all! Thanks to my parent's who helped (and actually did) most of the work!

Kristin

Mexico #2

2009-07-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

The Beach
Erynn playing in the sand
The monkey in the tree right outside our room's balcony
Another view of the beach.

It was fun and hot and gorgeous! Thanks mom and dad!

Kristin

Mexico

2009-07-06T10:43:00.003-05:00

So we went to Mexico in early June, despite the threat of the H1N1 flu. It was a celebration for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, so we were quite a crew! There were 24 of us in all and I think we ALL had a good time!We had a picture of everyone taken by the resort photographers, but we obviously don't have one on our cameras! This is most of the grandkids...I think just 2 of the older kids are missing.
Colin absolutely LOVED the water! He splashed and kicked and swam around until he couldn't keep his eyes open!
Lydia LOVED all the kids activities that they had...this night they had face painting in the main plaza area. Of course this was the night before we were to leave...she had a flower, a dolphin and a sun on various places on her face. I am sure that the airport people found it amusing...I just wasn't going to fight her on it!
Erynn spent a lot of time swimming too, although she would have hung out on the beach with the sand if we would have let her. She fell asleep all but one night at dinner...literally in her plate sometimes! My cousin Andrew needs to teach her how to do that whole "sleeping through dinner" thing...he used to fall asleep everytime we went out to dinner, but he would curl up in a corner!
This was Colin checking out the beach. I will post some more pictures in another post because it really was gorgeous there!

Kristin

Not me Monday...

2009-07-06T10:33:00.002-05:00

This is my first attempt at Not Me Mondays...but here goes...

I most certainly did NOT let my baby eat Cheerios off the floor this morning because it kept him occupied and happy.

I did NOT let my 3 year old sleep in bed with me last night and then get grumpy that she was there, but instead of carrying her to her bed, just stayed grumpy.

I did NOT contemplate a 30 minute drive to get some Baby Oxiclean spray so I could try to get some old stains out of clothes that I am going to sell to a kids resale shop.

I did NOT sell some clothes to said kids resale shop last week and make $80...and that most certainly was NOT less than 1/4 of the clothes that I will be taking there.

I also did NOT think last week that having just ONE more baby might be a good idea...

I did NOT vacuum the floor this morning only to realize that it looked better before because it just looked like the kids were messy (and thus easier to blame the mess on).

I also am NOT currently letting my 3 year old eat a cold piece of leftover pizza from last night.

Kristin

Rocker in the making?

2009-06-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

Who knows...maybe he is the next drummer for the next big band to hit the world. Okay, maybe not the NEXT one...but you know what I mean! *grin* Kristin

A day at the PARK

2009-06-07T21:19:00.002-05:00

Before Lydia finished school for the year, Erynn finished. So that left MANY days with just her, me, and Colin. It ended up that we had to get some of her energy expended otherwise her mommy might just have lost her mind! So this day Erynn, Colin and myself went to Leclaire Park and had a great time! I got some pictures that are fun and crazy...just like our day at the park!

Kristin

Sleeping Beauties...

2009-06-07T21:15:00.001-05:00

Sleep certainly puts an angelic spin on them! *grin*

Kristin

BonaFUN!

2009-06-07T21:05:00.002-05:00

So Bonifest was Memorial Day weekend. It is our church/school's big fundraiser of the year! I remember the year it was started and this was its 25th anniversary...don't have any idea how I am old enough to remember! *grin* Anyway, things were a little different this year with no "rides" but plenty of fun! 62Sports had all kinds of blowup bounce houses, slides, and racing things. It was a lot of fun and good times were had by all! The Big Bonagiveaway was drawn and although no one I knew won the big prize, I did sell one of the smaller prizes ($500, I think!). Here are a few pics from the weekend!

Lydia trying to ride the bull!

Erynn and Lydia on "Rat Race"

Erynn bouncing to her hearts content! :)

We wish all of you could have been there with us (esp you and all the boys Carrie!)...make plans to come visit next Memorial day! I am sure we will be there at Bonifest '10!!

Kristin

On to FIRST Grade!!

2009-05-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

So today was Lydia's last day of Kindergarten. What can I say? I am excited for her and just a little bit sad that she is growing up so fast. She got good "grades" and is already getting geared up for moving up the stairs and into Mrs. Kamp's room. We will have to go shopping for school supplies soon I think...she could hardly contain herself when I found the list in her registration packet this afternoon. I know that she is certainly going to miss Mrs. Wilson and all the fun, but she can't wait to not be the youngest at the school! :) Thanks to Mrs. Wilson for the wonderful "memory" book she and the kids made...it was so cute and will be wonderful to look back at in a couple of years!

Kristin

Oh yes, I am the worst mother of the year...I forgot to take any pictures and then was about 15 minutes late picking her up. *sigh* Maybe next year!

Random Picture Challenge

2009-05-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

August 2008

28th picture

This is Lydia on her first day of Kindergarten. I cannot believe that she has only 2.5 days left of the school year! She will soon be a 1st grader! Oh where did the time go...

Crazy faces

2009-05-22T22:38:00.003-05:00

They can be quite silly but...

aren't
they

cute?!?! *grin*

Kristin

We sure are gonna miss Mrs Burns...

2009-05-22T22:10:00.003-05:00

until Colin (hopefully) has her in 2 years! Erynn has loves almost every moment of her time with Mrs Burns and her wonderful program. She is certainly going to miss all of her friends! (and mommy is going to miss the time away from her) :) Erynn and her friend Mila!
Erynn "washing" her hands in the water table.

Enjoying the benefits of "Water Day" at preschool!

Kristin

Movin' and a groovin'!

2009-05-22T21:50:00.004-05:00

So Colin is officially movin and a groovin these days. He half crawls on his knee, while the other leg is straight. I think he is just trying all kinds of different ways of crawling to see which allows him to move the fastest. He hates being left behind, so if I go to the bathroom I am almost always assured to have someone waiting for me when I exit! :)

Kristin

I feel like I should update...

2009-05-13T21:45:00.003-05:00

but there isn't a whole lot going on here. Lydia is still doing TaeKwonDo at Myung's...they have a new website. Check it out here http://www.myungmartialarts.com/ She has not much longer as a Kindergartener! I don't know where the year went, but it is almost over! Lydia has a lot of things planned for the summer...teeball, a few day camps, and swimming lessons just to name a few.

Erynn is winding down at school...she literally has only 2 days left! yikes! What excatly am I going to do with her ALL summer Long?!? ;) Most of the classes at the YMCA require a parent at her age and I don't know what I would do with Colin during that time. I certainly can't have a babysitter come out once a week so Erynn and I can go cut and paste! :) I am sure that we will find some things to do. I am betting we will spend a lot of time at Aunt Maureen's pool, but only time will tell! Oh and I forgot that we will have to spend some serious time working on the potty training thing. If she wants to go to school next year, she HAS to be potty trained...just some extra motivation!

Colin is getting bigger by the day (almost by the minute it seems!). He just started crawling this past weekend! It is exciting and scary all at once. He isn't all that interested in crawling all over, but he has figured out that he can get things he wants by moving to them instead of waiting for someone to bring it to him! :) He also has started saying "ba ba ba". Daddy works on getting him to say "da da da" and I work on getting him to say "ma ma ma". :) We will see who is the better teacher! :)

That is about all I have for now. Hopefully I can post some new pics soon...I have to get it out and actually TAKE some!

Kristin

Random Picture Challenge

2009-04-29T22:56:00.003-05:00

Okay, well this is as close to July 2002 as I could find and one of the last pictures. This is one of very FEW pictures taken of me when I was pregnant with Lydia. We were on a trip to Colorado and were visiting the zoo on this day...just myself and Tom. It was our baby-cation! :) Thankfully it was a nice and relaxing trip with lots of sleeping and lounging about! :)

Baby Ella is here! :)

2009-04-29T22:42:00.003-05:00

We are SO excited that my cousin, Lexi and her husband, Joe had their baby! :) Ella is here and words cannot describe how happy we are for all of them. I have to say that I think I might have a better understanding of how my mother felt when I went into labor. I was a nervous wreck after talking to Joe around 6:30 and not knowing what was going on. Funny thing is, around 10:15-10:30 I was so anxious that I couldn't sleep. My stomach was in knots from worry or sympathy or something. I finally calmed myself down around 10:30 and finally went to bed. Ella was born at 11:20 and since they are an hour ahead of me, I think somehow her birth calmed me and allowed me to go back to bed! :) I know...weird, but I honestly feel that way. Oh and I was calling her a "her" before we knew she was a her! :) Anyway, welcome to our crazy family Ella! We love you bunches already!!

Lydia's latest accomplishment

2009-04-22T22:46:00.002-05:00

Lydia started taking Taekwondo at Myung Martial Arts around the beginning of March, along with her daddy. She LOVES it! She has a focus and excitement about it that I haven't really seen in her before. And, as her mom, I think she is really good! :) Last Saturday she tested to advance from a white belt to a yellow belt. This first picture is of her demonstrating some of the moves she has learned at class.This next picture is Lydia getting ready to break a board (this was her second try) with a kick.
If you look closely, you can see the board has broken in half...and all from her kick! :)

This was Master Myung presenting Lydia with her new yellow belt! She was SO excited and I was SO proud! I am not a mom to get too mushy about things, but I honestly had tears in my eyes. It is nice to see your child want something so badly, work hard, and accomplish it! She is determined to make black belt...and I have a funny feeling she just might do it. Of course you will have to tune back in about 5 years! :)

WATCH OUT!

2009-04-22T22:42:00.003-05:00

So Colin has been doing this for a while now. One of these days he is going to figure out how to move himself forward. Right now he just rocks back and forth or pushes himself backwards, until he is backed under a chair or the couch...then he cries! :) I think this is the beginning of the end! :)

My new favorite picture

2009-04-22T22:39:00.003-05:00

I know that I might be a little biased, but they are some pretty cute kids...aren't they?!? :)

Egg hunting at grandma's with all the cousins!

2009-04-22T22:31:00.002-05:00

Let the games begin!!

Lydia finding an egg in the landscaping.

Erynn getting a little "assistance" from Aunt Shelley!

It was a very fun day. The kids always love hanging out with their cousins and the food, as always, was very yummy!

Easter...a wee bit late, but a very early morning!

2009-04-22T22:20:00.002-05:00

Well Lydia got up at 6:15am and the smart girl that she was, she knew that she would not be able to hunt eggs unless Erynn was awake too. Sooooo...she woke up her sister. And if you know Erynn at all, you know that she needs every second of sleep that she can get! We ended up hunting eggs aroun 6:30 or so, going to church at 8:15, and then heading over to my mom's house for family Easter around 11:00. Everyone was tired and ready for bed around 7:00. The Easter Bunny was VERY nice...my kids must have been VERy good this year.

Colin's basket

Lydia's basket

Erynn's basket

The note Lydia left for the EB!

After finding all the eggs hidden in the house!

Still in jammies and before finding out what was in those eggs! :)

It was a very nice day...and hopefully the kids will have many memories of times like these!

Kristin

Dyeing eggs

2009-04-22T22:10:00.005-05:00

Here are all the eggs...done! It was a blast! Lydia wrote on hers this year with a clear crayon...she clearly was concentrating VERY hard!
And Erynn surprised me...she LOVED dyeing the eggs. She even was patient and let the eggs sit long enough to get good color. The only real problem she had was she wanted to throw the eggs into the pots...literally! :) Once I told her they would break though, she slowed down...a little anyway!

Random Picture Challenge

2009-04-20T22:52:00.004-05:00

This week it is April 2008 (or 13th folder), 42nd (or 4th-if don't have 42) picture. Since my older folders are not labeled like they are now, I am going to go with the 13th folder and 4th picture.

This is a picture of Colin, probably around 5-6 months old, hanging out in his bouncy seat. As you can see, the seat didn't have a very long lifespan with him. Erynn used it until she started sitting up on her own. Colin was a wee bit bigger than his big sister. :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T22:20:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! It has been a LONG day...Lydia thought that 6am was a good time to get up AND wake her sister! The Easter Bunny was good to this household...I will post pics later. Hopefully sometime tomorrow! :) Sleep tight everyone!

Kristin

Random Picture Challenge

2009-04-05T22:36:00.003-05:00

Its that time again! Courtesy of http://4littlemen.blogspot.com/ this is Feb 2008, picture #33.

Erynn was and still is such a goofball! Here she is being cheezy!

stlmommy.com giveaway

2009-04-03T22:44:00.001-05:00

Go here http://www.stlmommy.com/ to enter to win a $25 Target giftcard!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

$25 Target Gift Card Giveaway
It's time for me to give something to you since you take time out of your busy lives to visit STL Mommy.
The giveaway this month is a $25 Target Gift Card.It's the least I can do to Thank You!

Random Picture Challenge

2009-03-23T08:02:00.002-05:00

This was 3rd folder, 1st picture with something brown. Lydia's eyes and hair are certainly brown. :) This was after the Easter party at school...always lots of fun!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T22:22:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! As you can tell, we wish we were Irish around here! :)

Kristin, Tom, Lydia, Erynn, and Colin

All I want for Easter?!?

2009-03-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

Well, it happened. Lydia had her first real accident. It happened at school and was slightly traumatic, but everyone is okay. She was playing at recess and collided with Phillip (we are glad you are okay!), knocking out her two top front teeth. Thankfully they were her baby teeth and had been slightly loose anyway. She is having some troubles talking without lisping or whistling and was definitely sore this afternoon, but all in all she is doing well. Aunt Cari, the dentist, took a look and said she looks fine...we will just have to watch her permanent teeth as they come in. Everyone was pretty amazed at how brave she was...no tears until she was home with me. Mostly she was worried about how she was going to look. Poor kid...although she was told the tooth fairy should be very nice to her. Any predictions on what the tooth fairy is gonna bring?!? :)

One more for tonight...

2009-03-15T22:11:00.002-05:00

This is my new favorite picture of Colin. It shows just what a happy boy he usually is! Besides, how can you NOT love those chubby cheeks?! :)

Colin's new trick

2009-03-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

Colin just started holding his own bottle. I love when my kids start doing this only because I hate having my hands occupied. I don't know...I just love when they can start feeding themselves! :)

Oh boy...

2009-03-15T22:04:00.002-05:00

Okay, so let me just say that I seriously love this girl, but sheesh...somedays she makes me crazy. Her bedtime somehow got out of wack this week and she was refusing to go to bed. Saturday night it was almost 10:00 before she finally gave up and fell asleep. We worry about her only because when she gets an idea in her head, she is going to do excatly what she wants to...and there is little stopping her! This picture is just her attitude showing through. She was saying "NO! Don't take my picture, mommy!" It's gonna be an interesting ride with this one!

Rover Joe

2009-03-15T21:52:00.004-05:00

After weeks and weeks of wondering when Rover Joe (the Kindergarten mascot) was coming to our house for a weekend, he finally made it here! Each child in Lydia's class gets to take Rover Joe home for a weekend and then write in a journal the adventures they have with him. I think that Lydia was starting to get anxious that Mrs. Wilson was never going to draw her name out for her turn! She even told me that Mrs. Wilson draws the sticks (with the names on them) from the middle so during playtime she would find her stick and move it to the middle. I am proud of the keen observation, but not so much about her stacking the deck in her favor. :) Anyway, Rover Joe spent time playing outside, made the weekly trip to Hardee's on Saturday morning and even watched the Duke basketball game. Who knew he was a fan! :) It was a great weekend and now Lydia can stop stressing out about it!

Random Picture Challenge

2009-03-15T21:45:00.004-05:00

This weeks challenge:

Feb 09...picture of something other than your kids

So this is one of Erynn's classmates playing outside at school. It was one of the few nice days we have had around here this Spring.

It has been a while...

2009-02-23T21:53:00.002-06:00

Sheesh! Time seems to just fly by sometimes. Well, so our weekends have been kind of crazy. Valentine's Day weekend we spent at St Louis Children's Hospital with Colin. He had croup and ended up being admitted and even scoring an ICU bed. Croup usually isn't an ailment that requires hospitalization and yet both Colin and Erynn have stayed overnight with it. Colin is doing fine now, although we did have to postpone his ear tubes surgery. It is a little bit of a bummer, since I know he is bothered a little bit by them, but the doctor only goes to the children's hospital once a month. I certainly didn't want to put him through elective surgery when he was sick. So the new date is March 20th...at least he can recover with both Mom and Dad since that is a Friday.

This weekend wasn't very good at our house either. Lydia came home from school around 11:00 after she threw up. Tom also came home with a stomach bug and fever. Needless to say it was quite an exciting weekend. Lydia seemed to recover very quickly...thank goodness, but Tom and I kind of laid around. Everything seems to be back to normal now though! We are hoping to be healthy for at least the next few weekends! :)

Kristin

Random Picture Challenge 5.0

2009-02-09T18:11:00.002-06:00

Again, as per http://4littlemen.blogspot.com/ here is my picture...

This is my 10th folder and 5th picture from the end. Colin and Erynn hanging out in mom & dad's bed. Erynn is again wearing no clothes and probably happy as a clam. Colin seems to be looking for someone sane to hang out with! :)

Kristin

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-04T21:46:00.002-06:00

My little dare devil

2009-02-04T21:27:00.006-06:00

So I have always known that Lydia was outgoing and adventurous and would try many more things that I ever would have at her age, but she amazes me all the time. She has been taking Rock Climbing classes at the YMCA and at the second class she climbed all the way to the top. I am excited (especially for her) that she is willing to try things and doesn't let too much stand in her way. I can only pray that she continues to "march to her own drummer" and be her own person.

Kristin

Random Picture Challenge 4.0 from http://4littlemen.blogspot.com/

2009-01-31T20:54:00.004-06:00

Here is Erynn before heading off to Ronnie and Nikki's wedding. I loved this dress (I splurged and bought it at Gymboree) and the matching purple ballet flats! We had a great time seeing all of our family while we were in Texas...it was a great time!

The date is set...

2009-01-30T10:12:00.003-06:00

So we had our appointment with the ENT. He looked at Colin and agreed...tubes it is! So on February 18th we will head off to Cardinal Glennon to have tubes placed. We are comfortable with the procedure and especially the hospital, but how we are going to keep a 6 month old from eating I am not sure. But hopefully this will do the trick and Colin will be able to sleep better and not be so crabby. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

Kristin

Random picture challenge

2009-01-24T21:37:00.004-06:00

So as per 4littlemen.blogspot picture challenge, this is the 30th picture of August 2007

This is Lydia with her friend Jack at their spring program at preschool. Jack's dad and I went to the same grade school together...just a few years ago. Anyway, these guys get together and can be some goofy kiddos! :) They certainly are cute though! Oh and Lydia thinks Jack is pretty cute...she ALREADY has something for boys with curls. (Oh and I know this wasn't taken in August, but I hadn't downloaded pictures in a while so my August folder was pretty big!)

Kristin

ENT here we come...

2009-01-23T21:14:00.003-06:00

So Colin had his 6 month check up today and yet another ear check. We finished up his 4th round of antibiotics last week and were hoping that maybe his ears would be clear. No such luck! There is yellow pus still there and the ear drums don't react. So we got our referral to the ENT and already have an appointment for next Wednesday. As scary as it is to have to take your child to the hospital, we know it is a simple procedure. And it would be nice to have a smiling baby all the time, or at least most of the time. Oh yeah, and to not be covered in baby puke might be nice too! We will see what the ENT says, but if I were a betting woman, I would bet he is going to advocate tubes. At this point...it sounds good to me!

My baby is 6 today...

2009-01-21T21:19:00.004-06:00

6 months that is! I am having a hard time believing that this picture was taken almost excatly six months ago! I remember being so scared and sad that my little boy was having to go through all of this at just a few hours old. As a mom, I of course had mommy regret...thought that maybe there was something that I could have done to avert all of this, but I also believe that things happen for a reason. Maybe I just needed to be reminded how precious and precarious life is...and believe me, this experience makes me appreciate my children more. Anyways, Happy half birthday little boy! We love you!

Exhausted

2009-01-20T13:03:00.003-06:00

So, if you know Erynn at all, you know that she doesn't stop. Not much anyway. I guess she had stopped to watch "Mity Mouse Tubhouse" the other day and her exhaustion got the better of her. Doesn't she look angelic?! :)

Teeth!

2009-01-20T12:57:00.003-06:00

With these new arrivals, we are hoping to see more of Colin like this...

Here we go...

2009-01-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

So...somedays I just need to document what is going on with the kids, other days I just need to share my misery, and others I just need to write out my thoughts. I thought that a blog might help me do this without being able to lose it in my pigsty of a house. Anyway, here we go...